Once you’ve enjoyed owning an Hermes bag, there’s no going back… everything else feels like slumming TBH.

It's not personally worth it to me. I'd rather spend my money on vacations or my second home. I'm going to guess that I've never spent more than $300 on a bag, maybe up to $500. My current bag is a $250 MZ Wallace that's super functional. I love that it converts to a backpack because I used to get shoulder pain from carrying a bag on one side.

Same thing with shoes and clothes. I've probably never spent more than $200 on a pair of shoes, $100 on a single item of clothing except maybe a fancy dress or winter coat. But then I love all things sparkly and I probably have $40k worth of jewelry, which is more than my car cost.

Whatever you do and whatever you love, just do it for you. If you can afford it and it makes you happy, great. If you're questioning what other people think about your purchases, that sounds less great. Are you surrounded by shallow people who judge you based on your purchases? I only want to be around people who appreciate me, with my odd frugality in some areas and my fancy jewelry and vacations on the other hand.

I have this theory that procuring things, even things that impact our lives very little like metal we wear on our fingers, triggers our primal instincts to have security . . . food and housing security, as well as secure standing in our tribe. So we can get super invested in figuring out just what to spend our money on and how to get it. And I don't think there's really anything wrong with that as long as we're not spending money we don't have or trying to buy our way out of emotional insecurity.

*rocks a bag i got at family dollar and proud of it

Anonymous wrote:Legitimately laughing out loud at the idea of Mulberry and Goyard being IYKYK bags. The former is often seen as deeply matronly and the latter is the new Neverfull.

I’m not even sure that this IYKYK category exists anymore in the age of social media. Everything is oversaturated.

OP, just buy what you like. Pretty much everything is recognizable at this point to someone who has even a passing interest in fashion.

Seriously! Especially Mulberry. I swear to God DCUM mistakes boring things for subtle sophistication.

Anonymous wrote:Target. 25 bucks. No one cares.

Yeah, but how many of those $25 buck purses have you gone through? How many people were paid a living wage to make them? How many worked in what is effectively slavery?

I’m not an expensive bag person, but one good bag is better than the multiples of cheap bags that many women churn through.

Legitimately laughing out loud at the idea of Mulberry and Goyard being IYKYK bags. The former is often seen as deeply matronly and the latter is the new Neverfull.

I’m not even sure that this IYKYK category exists anymore in the age of social media. Everything is oversaturated.

OP, just buy what you like. Pretty much everything is recognizable at this point to someone who has even a passing interest in fashion.

Goyard is always a safe bet. The quality is definitely strong and it’s certainly and “if you know bag.”
https://www.goyard.com/us_en/sac-anjou-gm.html#ANJOUSGMLCG09TY09P

Anonymous wrote:The only thing you know is that you might be pretty gullible to fall for marketing ploys. And really dumb(?)

But an LV Neverfull abuse it for over a decade and then tell me what a rip off it is. It isn’t just marketing hype for every bag.

Don't you have a nanny or a maid or a butler or a chauffeur who would greatly benefit from getting some of that money as a bonus or a present? Like it would help their kids eat better or go to college or it would fix their car or pay their rent?

Just a thought.

Anonymous wrote:Or do you prefer well known brands that are recognizable by everyone like Louis Vuitton or Chanel over Mulberry and Celine?

I would never spend over $1K on a purse. That is outrageous. I make $200K a year and I don't make enough to justify that cost although I know plenty of people who make less than I do and spend outrageous amounts on LV or Chanel or Celine. I think it's crazy. The most expensive purse I own is a Dooney and Bourke crossbody that I got from an outlet store. The other one I use is a Ralph Lauren one from 10 years ago. I have a couple of leather purses with no brand names that I bought in my 20s when I went to Italy and Brazil.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's only worth it if you love the bag. I fell in love with Mulberry nearly 15 years ago, before they had as large of a presence and recognizability in the US. I carried my Mulberries and loved them. Still do. They were/are worth the money to me because I love the craftsmanship. They were also "worth it" in the sense that because of the great materials and craftsmanship, they've lasted way longer than any fast fashion bag would have. I carry my bags for me, not so they can be recognized by some stranger.

Same. They are classics. I’ve had mine for >7 years and I have ones I bought in the end of year sale 2 & 5 yrs ago and haven’t even worn yet. They will always be in style. My only complains about them is the bottoms are too wide on some models. I think I will break down and get the Lily this year finally.

So does this apply to the 80's Coach leather bags too?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mulberry/Strathberry/Smythson/IB/Maje poster here.

I’d say the next level bags from this point up that are worth carrying would be Givenchy, Altazurra, Hermes & some others.

Would not go near Michael Kors, Kate Spade especially if over 26. Nor Tory Burch if over 30.

If you’re looking for some style on a budget look at Rebecca Minkoff.

I just pulled a Kate Spade tote bag out of the closet, and I’m enjoying carrying it again. I’m in my 40s.

It's fine to carry Kate Spade/MK/Tory Burch bags after 30 if you enjoy the design. However I wouldn't carry a Kate Spade bag after that age just to carry a Kate Spade bag. It's not impressive after 25!

Anonymous wrote:Mulberry/Strathberry/Smythson/IB/Maje poster here.

I’d say the next level bags from this point up that are worth carrying would be Givenchy, Altazurra, Hermes & some others.

Would not go near Michael Kors, Kate Spade especially if over 26. Nor Tory Burch if over 30.

If you’re looking for some style on a budget look at Rebecca Minkoff.

I just pulled a Kate Spade tote bag out of the closet, and I’m enjoying carrying it again. I’m in my 40s.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t carry one so people are left guessing. 🤣😂

Agreed. I honestly hate purses and think the vast majority are hideous--certainly not worth thousands. Usually I carry as little as possible and stuff my coat pockets. If I have too much for my pockets, I'll use the New York Times tote bag they sent me for free. I'll turn in my woman card now.

It looks like there are at least three of us. This is why I demand good pockets on my clothing.

I do have a no brand tote bag if I need to carry something out of the ordinary (like a computer for work) and a small no brand cross body for my passport, ticket, and pocket items when traveling that goes immediately into a carry on once I have cleared security and boarding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thank you all for the diverse opinions and responses. It is truly appreciated. Does anyone have brand preferences based on how brands hold their value?

When I made my first two Celine purchases I was told the brand did not hold value well and ever since then I’ve strayed a bit.

I do like a variety of styles outside of the IYKYK world. I look at bags like Gucci Diana which at the size I like is going for $4800 at the moment and wonder if it would hold value or would be versatile enough or heavyweight enough to be worth it. I’ve heard the bamboo cracks and would the repairs be worth it over all. https://www.gucci.com/us/en/st/capsule/diana-collection

I admit that I do look into an entire purchase because I honestly dislike when things don’t hold up well over time.

What is your goal with “hold value”. Do you sell them? If not, just buy what you like and use them as bags.

DP but I turn to the secondary market first for many items, including bags, both to save money and reduce my strain on the environment. I sell things I’m done with for the same reasons.